Baltic Cruise with 4.5 year old. Is this possible?

[Starry Nights]

We are trying to decide if a 14-day Baltic Cruise with our 4-and-a-half-year old granddaughter (and our two daughters) is a reasonable thing to plan for July 2011 on the Eclipse. Our granddaughter, now 3, is an only child and spends a lot of her time with adults. She is very bright, and very well-behaved (aren't all our grandchildren ? ;)). She is interested in everything, and loves to be on the go.

 

We would love to plan a family trip to the Baltic with our daughters, but DD1 would not be able to be away from our granddaughter for that length of time, so it is either travel with daughters AND granddaughter, or just travel with DH for this particular itinerary.

 

I would love to hear from any Celebrity cruisers who have done the Baltic itinerary with a 4 or 5 year old.

[Cruising50's]

My family decided to take the Baltic cruise last July in celebration of our son returning from the Middle East deployment with the military. We wanted everyone to be together, so our daughter decided to go and take her 16 month old. We were so concerned about how he would handle it. The flight over to England was really long, but he did very well. The flight attendants on Continental were very nice to us.........they seated us in a good place and were great in bringing drinks, snacks, anything we wanted to keep him happy !

 

We had made arrangements with Steve Oates of Heathrow Chauffeurs to meet us and take us to our hotel the first day and then on to the port the next day. He made sure he had the correct child seat for the van. They were outstanding. The cruise itself was fantastic. We loved all of the ports and our little grandson did very well. We took a stroller in case he got tired and needed a nap while we were touring. The dining staff and waiters in the buffet area were wonderful to him. They were always coming by and talking to him and brought all kinds of goodies for him to eat. We did request the early dining time so that he wouldn't have to wait so late to eat........he normally went to sleep right after dinner.

 

We had worked out a plan to take turns staying with him when it was time for him to go to sleep...............and that worked out great. The cabin steward was very helpful in setting up whatever we needed in the way of pillows, blankets, etc. We also brought a small

inflatable bathtub for him to put in the bottom of the shower for bathtime.

 

I believe that as long as you have everyone in agreement to help out .......... everyone will have a great cruise. I know that he doesn't remember any of the trip, but we sure have some beautiful pictures of all of us sharing a great celebration cruise.

 

We were very surprised to see how many children there were on our cruise. We thought we would be the only ones. She sounds like she is a precious little girl, and I am sure that she will have a wonderful time. We started cruising with our children when they were that age and they fell in love with cruising. Thirty years later, they are still going with us !

[kitty9]

I don't think it's an impossible trip as long as everyone goes with the realization that the cruise will be different than what you might normally experience sans child. For me personally, I don't find the Baltic stops, with the exception of St Petersburg, to be all that interesting. I've been there a few times and the cities in the Baltic, such as Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm and the rest to have the look and feel of any city in the US. Yes, they have their museums and some interesting architecture, but unlike Med ports, these are modern cities with lots of high rises and the look and feel of cities in the US and Canada.

 

Regardless of how bright, mature and everything else of your granddaughter, there's not much for kids that age in the Baltic. You can see places like the Vasa Museum or Tivoli Gardens, but nothing really child friendly---I guess you can say that for a lot of places in Europe, even the Med. But I'm guessing this trip is not for the child, but for you and your daughters, so as long as you go with that in mind, and know that this cruise will probably not be of any interest to the young one, then of course it's possible.

[Starry Nights]

I really appreciate the comments. They help to put things into perspective for me.

 

One of my daughters is a teacher, so we are pretty well restricted to summer trips and Christmas and Spring Break cruises, if we are to go as a family. I thought the Baltic might be a good blend of interesting stops, but not (with the exception of St. Petersburg) stops that might cause high regret if one of us has to stay on the ship with our darling GD.

 

In St. Petersburg I am planning to reserve a private tour which, hopefully, will allow us a bit more freedom to accommodate the little one. I know that any one of the four adults will happily make personal adjustments in order to create a schedule that is not too tiring for a four-and-a-half year old (who finds everything in her world to be entertaining, even a trip to the grocery store!)

[mek]

I am glad you are considering a private tour for St Pete. If I was traveling with a child, that would be the only way I would attempt to do it. I would suggest you definitely go to Peterhoff - beautiful parks where a child can have some freedom and the fountains are spectacular. The same with Tsarskoe Selo/Pushkin - there is a large park there as well. With a private tour you will not have to stand in long lines and you can make unscheduled stops if necessary. We used Denrus and were very pleased with them.

[Starry Nights]

Thanks Mek. Yes, I think a private tour would be the only way to go.

 

My DGD is currently into princesses in a big way. I think she would think she was in fairy tale heaven if she could see the palaces of St. Petersburg.

 

Thanks for your recommendation of Denrus. I have heard good things about them as well.

 

From my personal experience, I find that Russians are particularly fond of children, so I'm hoping my DGD will be welcomed as part of our group.

 

My husband's grand parents are all from Russia or the Ukraine, so if nothing else, my DGD will have some meaningful pictures in her scrapbook to reflect on as she grows up.

[GeorgeL]

Thanks Mek. Yes, I think a private tour would be the only way to go.

 

My DGD is currently into princesses in a big way. I think she would think she was in fairy tale heaven if she could see the palaces of St. Petersburg.

 

Thanks for your recommendation of Denrus. I have heard good things about them as well.

 

From my personal experience, I find that Russians are particularly fond of children, so I'm hoping my DGD will be welcomed as part of our group.

 

My husband's grand parents are all from Russia or the Ukraine, so if nothing else, my DGD will have some meaningful pictures in her scrapbook to reflect on as she grows up.

 

I was on a Baltic cruise when my daughter was your granddaughter's age. Celebrity does have a nice children's program but it is not offered while the ship is in port. So, you will have to take your granddaughter with you on all your tours unless someone volunteers to remain with her onboard. This, in turn, would mean that someone in your family would miss out on one of the best portions of the cruise. We often traveled with our children on land vacations as well as cruises. In fact, they have been to more countries than any of the children in their schools. However, I would have to say that cruising with a port intensive itinerary like the Baltics with a three year old is NOT the optimal vacation for her or for the adults. It can be very tiring for grown ups and very much more so for the little one. Also, at her age, you cannot really say that she will benefit from the experience too much or even remember it at all but it will definitely impact the enjoyment of all the adults. The memories she would have would most likely not be very meaningful at that age. Having traveled quite extensively with all three of our children in tow (and all over the world), I would advise against doing this cruise with a child this young. I think a cruise which is more kid friendly would be something involving the beach and fun in the sun where both the child and the adults could have lots of fun. St. Petersburg is beautiful and there is so much to see (been there over a dozen times over the span of many, many years) but for a three year old it can be very tiring and it will be much less relaxing for the adults as well. I would wait a least several years before making such a journey. Of course, this is my own view but you did ask for opinions.

[Starry Nights]

I was on a Baltic cruise when my daughter was your granddaughter's age. Celebrity does have a nice children's program but it is not offered while the ship is in port. So, you will have to take your granddaughter with you on all your tours unless someone volunteers to remain with her onboard. This, in turn, would mean that someone in your family would miss out on one of the best portions of the cruise. We often traveled with our children on land vacations as well as cruises. In fact, they have been to more countries than any of the children in their schools. However, I would have to say that cruising with a port intensive itinerary like the Baltics with a three year old is NOT the optimal vacation for her or for the adults. It can be very tiring for grown ups and very much more so for the little one. Also, at her age, you cannot really say that she will benefit from the experience too much or even remember it at all but it will definitely impact the enjoyment of all the adults. The memories she would have would most likely not be very meaningful at that age. Having traveled quite extensively with all three of our children in tow (and all over the world), I would advise against doing this cruise with a child this young. I think a cruise which is more kid friendly would be something involving the beach and fun in the sun where both the child and the adults could have lots of fun. St. Petersburg is beautiful and there is so much to see (been there over a dozen times over the span of many, many years) but for a three year old it can be very tiring and it will be much less relaxing for the adults as well. I would wait a least several years before making such a journey. Of course, this is my own view but you did ask for opinions.

 

Thank you very much for taking the time to comment. I appreciate your perspective and your experience.

 

My DGD will be four-and-a-half at the time of the Baltic Cruise in July 2011. She is already very mature for her age, and plays well with four-and five-year olds.

 

We do realize that we may not know how it's working until we actually get there, so each of the adults would be prepared to take turns staying on the ship with DGD if that turns out to be the best solution. We will bring enough books and drawing materials, etc. to engage her even if the kids' programmes are not open.

 

My DD1's inlaws are also considering coming along, so there may be 6 adults in DGD's entourage :).

 

However, I really appreciate everyone's comments, and will take all of them into consideration before making a final decision.

[Onessa]

Regardless of how bright, mature and everything else of your granddaughter, there's not much for kids that age in the Baltic. You can see places like the Vasa Museum or Tivoli Gardens, but nothing really child friendly. . .

 

A friend of mine did this with her DH and DS when DS was just 4YO (no other adults) -- and she indicated it was the best family trip they ever took. Very peaceful. They did not do any of the ship's tours but planned their own at their own pace.

 

With additional adults, it should be a bit easier for you folks to pull it off. It will be a different trip than without the little one -- not worse, just different.

 

We did a 2.5 week land trip to Italy with our DD when she was 4.5YO and it was great. She too is an only child (now 14.5YO) who dealt well with adults and had a really long attention span. It was terrific to view things from a kid's perspective (I've never had as much fun in an art museum than with her in Florence at the Birth of Venus -- she had everyone around us enthralled with her observations of little stuff in the background of the picture). We always were able to find some sort of playground -- got the best restraunt and "local" recommendations from other parents we'd meet there. Traveling with little ones can be a great experience. DD does still have some very distinct memories of that trip.

 

For your DGD, she'd get to be the center of attention with all of the adults traveling with you -- so she'd probably have a great time.

[brazilgirl]

We went on a 14 day Baltic cruise in July with our 3 children on the Constellation. Our youngest son , Nicholas , was 5 , Felipe was 9 and Isabella 12.

 

We had a truly marvelous experience. Truly. It was educational and fun for the children and for us adults.

 

The most important recommendation I can make is plan , plan , plan. I studied the ports extensively before our trip , trying to balance museums with amusement parks and picnics.

 

I´d alos highly encourage you to prepurchase tickets to museums etc online ahead of time to avoid long waits. This really helps!And to discuss the places you´ll visit ahead of time , showing pictures and videos to heighten the experience.

 

Here is an overview of the family friendly things we did...I found the Baltics to be very , very family friendly. Denmark and Sweden had so many neat things , I had a very difficult time choosing what to do.

 

Harwich- We enjoyed London for 3 days after the cruise. Before the cruise we spent 4 days in Paris and one day at an inn near Harwich , in a tiny town called Mistley. The inn :Mistley Thorn. This was one of the highlights of our trip. There is swan reserve and the kids had the time of their life.

 

In Amsterdam , we took a canal ride (booked ahead of time) and I´d recommend the Van Gogh Museum. There is a special tour for children. You can read one of the many books for young kids on Van Gogh ahead of time.

 

In Warnemunde , we rented a car and drove to Lubeck (very easy , good roads and GPS). There we visited the most amazing puppet museum and had lunch on the water . So beautiful.

 

Stockholm- One of our best days EVER! We visited the Vasa Museum , Skansen ( an open air , living history museum with a wonderful Artic zoo and the Pippi Lockstocking museum. All these places are very close (walking distance) and fascinating for kids and adults.

At Skansen , you can see "old Sweden"...incredible architecture.

Pippi Longstocking Museum

 

In Helsinki , it was raining ...we had planned to have a picnic on the fort island (Suominlina?). We ended up leaving the kids on board and shopping , sighseeing and having an adult lunch. The Fun Factory DOES allow you to leave kids on port days. We stayed close to the ship and came back in plenty of time.

 

In St.Petersburg , we booked a 2 day private tour with Anastasia. Our guide , Elena , was very sensitive to the kid´s pace. We visited Peterhof (kids loved the trick fountains and the red squirrels), rode on a hydrofoil , visited Yusopov´s Palace (Nicholas , the youngest , still talks about Rasputin!) and did a canal ride on the first day.

2nd day , we visited the Hermitage , had lunch at a Russian Pie place and visited the Church of the Spilled Blood. The children LOVED Russia...

 

Felipe , in the Hermitage. It is important to let the kids stop and rest and look at what is interesting to them. Amazingly enough , this pace lets us adults see things in a richer way.

 

I´ll finish the other ports later , must work!You will have a wonderful trip.

 

Kim

[Starry Nights]

A friend of mine did this with her DH and DS when DS was just 4YO (no other adults) -- and she indicated it was the best family trip they ever took. Very peaceful. They did not do any of the ship's tours but planned their own at their own pace.

 

With additional adults, it should be a bit easier for you folks to pull it off. It will be a different trip than without the little one -- not worse, just different.

 

We did a 2.5 week land trip to Italy with our DD when she was 4.5YO and it was great. She too is an only child (now 14.5YO) who dealt well with adults and had a really long attention span. It was terrific to view things from a kid's perspective (I've never had as much fun in an art museum than with her in Florence at the Birth of Venus -- she had everyone around us enthralled with her observations of little stuff in the background of the picture). We always were able to find some sort of playground -- got the best restraunt and "local" recommendations from other parents we'd meet there. Traveling with little ones can be a great experience. DD does still have some very distinct memories of that trip.

 

For your DGD, she'd get to be the center of attention with all of the adults traveling with you -- so she'd probably have a great time.

 

Thanks Onessa. Your comments are very helpful, and encouraging.

 

I am the grandmother that takes DGD to the art gallery classes and museums. I am not a good beach person; we have to leave that to other members of the family. :p I so agree with you about enjoying the new point of view you get from looking at things with a child. I will also look at the family cruising board to get ideas for cruising with a child of this age.

 

I love Cruise Critic! Thanks again.

[junglejane]

I was on a Baltic cruise when my daughter was your granddaughter's age. Celebrity does have a nice children's program but it is not offered while the ship is in port.

 

Do you have recent personal experience of the children's program being closed while the ship is in port?

 

We took our kids on the Summit in June 2008 to the Med, and the Fun Factory was definitely open and running on port days. We are looking at returning to the Med in 2011 (awaiting the Equinox itinerary) and it would make a difference to us in choosing between Princess and Celebrity to know whether the program is open in port.

 

In fact, as I recall one of the benefits of the VIP Kids Party Pass they tried to sell us on the Summit was that it covered any extra charges on port days.:confused: Also, the Celebrity website says that: "Programs are available year round From 9 a.m. each morning, or half an hour before arriving in each port." It wouldn't make sense to open a half hour before arriving in port and then just close up again 30 minutes later????

[GeorgeL]

Do you have recent personal experience of the children's program being closed while the ship is in port?

 

We took our kids on the Summit in June 2008 to the Med, and the Fun Factory was definitely open and running on port days. We are looking at returning to the Med in 2011 (awaiting the Equinox itinerary) and it would make a difference to us in choosing between Princess and Celebrity to know whether the program is open in port.

 

In fact, as I recall one of the benefits of the VIP Kids Party Pass they tried to sell us on the Summit was that it covered any extra charges on port days.:confused: Also, the Celebrity website says that: "Programs are available year round From 9 a.m. each morning, or half an hour before arriving in each port." It wouldn't make sense to open a half hour before arriving in port and then just close up again 30 minutes later????

 

No, I do not have very recent experience with the Celebrity children's program. This is how it was when my kids were very little but I am sure it could have changed since we used it last time. The best thing to do is to go on Celebrity website or call them, jus to make sure.

[Scrapchick]

No, I do not have very recent experience with the Celebrity children's program. This is how it was when my kids were very little but I am sure it could have changed since we used it last time. The best thing to do is to go on Celebrity website or call them, jus to make sure.

 

 

LOL!! Having TRIED to get this information out of them on the phone in the past week, I would advise people not to even bother calling, as they will get a different answer from every person, and each answer will differ from what is written on their web site as well.... It is absolutely hopeless trying to ask Celebrity about this. I am going on the Equinox next week and hope to talk to the kids staff in person to try to get an answer to what is actually a very simple question...

[brazilgirl]

I have been on the Constellation and the Infinity (last month) in the past year and can tell you with absolute certainty that the kid´s club functions on port day. There is a fee for lunch if they stay all day.

 

Kim

[Scrapchick]

I have been on the Constellation and the Infinity (last month) in the past year and can tell you with absolute certainty that the kid´s club functions on port day. There is a fee for lunch if they stay all day.

 

Kim

 

THANK YOU!!!!! Finally, an answer!!!

 

My TA had the highest up person she could find at Celebrity tell her there was no port day supervision at all on any of their ships and definitely would not be on our Eclipse cruise in St Petersburg because it was such a long time in port and something could happen while the parents were away from the ship... He then went on to say they would arrange private babysitting at a cost and apparently, it would then be okay for us to leave the ship...

 

I have never been on a cruise (35 and counting...) where there was no port day supervision before and I simply did not buy this at all.

 

Thank you for your reply!

[junglejane]

I have been on the Constellation and the Infinity (last month) in the past year and can tell you with absolute certainty that the kid´s club functions on port day. There is a fee for lunch if they stay all day.

 

Kim

 

Hurray for Kim! I knew you'd know the deal!!! :) I don't know where all this disinformation comes from, but I recall my TA being told the same incorrect info about no port day program before our 2008 cruise.

[AlanAllyn]

Our experience is a little different, but may be helpful. We traveled on the Equinox last December 4 - 14. We did not have our grandchildren, but there was a child that age at the next table in the dining room whom we befriended. There were only 22 children on the whole ship. That little girl had a wonderful time. She loved the kid's program. She ate in the main dining room 8 0f the 10 nights and was a delight.